Case Number 15439

THE APPRENTICE

The Charge

"Salut, baby!"

Opening Statement

Once a late night television mainstay on Canadian airwaves, The
Apprentice arrives on DVD in a lackluster "special edition" from
Somerville House. The distributor has repackaged the film, also known by the
title Fleur Bleue, to play up the presence of a young Susan Sarandon
(Speed Racer) who "oozes sexuality" in a "dangerous,
daring and sensuous" tale. Viewers who fall for this ploy, which
misrepresents the movie, will be disappointed.

Facts of the Case

Jean-Pierre (Steve Fiset) is a luckless young man living in Montreal, Quebec.
Constantly bouncing between low-paying jobs, he blames his poor English skills
for his mistreatment from employers. Jean-Pierre's virginal girlfriend, Michelle
(Céline Bernier) is a separatist. Dock (Jean-Pierre Cartier), Michelle's
brother, introduces Jean-Pierre to a life of crime. The pair starts off with
stick-ups and then progress to staging bank robberies.

Sarandon plays Elizabeth, an American model, who befriends Jean-Pierre after
unintentionally getting him fired off the set of a commercial shoot. He doesn't
quite know what to make of her, but Jean-Pierre quickly falls under Elizabeth's
spell even though he knows she won't be his exclusively.

The Evidence

The Apprentice has a lot of value as a cinematic time capsule.
Montreal at this time is sharply segregated with the French speakers living in
the east and the English speakers in the west side of the city. With the
Anglophones enjoying economic power, this is the socio-political backdrop for
the story. There is no mistaking the era in which the movie is set, as Montreal
looks like it's at a cultural crossroads. The sixties fashions are feeling stale
and the seventies haven't quite established a platformed foothold yet.

Sarandon is a scene-stealer, not just because she is the most recognizable
member of the cast, but also because her character injects so much life into the
proceedings. The bubbly, fast-talking Elizabeth has no money troubles and is
always surrounded by men jostling for her attention. It is a pleasure watching
Sarandon have a go at the type of free-spirited characters played by Diane
Keaton, in Annie Hall, and the likes of Kate Hudson and Kirsten Dunst in
more recent incarnations. This early effort from Sarandon also features a nude
scene -- tame by today's standards but notable for those who keep track of
celebrity flesh. The DVD packaging gives the impression that this is Sarandon's
movie. The plot summary suggests that Jean-Pierre is Elizabeth's sexual
apprentice. It is not an accurate description of this movie.

It is tempting to read politics into the movie. Jean-Pierre's economic
disenfranchisement forces him to resort to crime. Michelle, the virgin
revolutionary, is the sole representative of the separatist movement. However,
rather than an overt statement by the filmmakers, I think the political
undertones simply reflect the mixed attitudes and cultural tension of the day.
Jean-Pierre is caught between his commitment to his francophone girlfriend and
his affection for the American model, but he never has to make a decision on
whom to love. He's let off the hook by the movie's cheap, cop out of a
conclusion.

A truly bilingual movie, the script spotlights the characters' struggle to
communicate in two tongues. The DVD gives viewers the option of the English or
French version of the movie (affecting the language of the menus and subtitles
only) but the audio track is the same for both. Characters speak English, French
or both on the soundtrack and the limited, non-optional subtitling translates
only the dialogue spoken in the other language. Even so, the subtitles only do
their duty about half of the time. At least the dialogue is clear on the
passable mono soundtrack.

The English version of the movie has a decently remastered picture. Colors
are strong and only minor instances of dust and scratches are visible, making
this a nicely preserved visual record of Montreal neighborhoods in the 1970s.
The picture is presented in 1.33:1 full frame but the compositions work fine.
Reel changeover cues are still visible in the upper right corner of the
frame.

Viewers who select the French version of the movie (and there's no reason to
unless you need the French subtitles to follow the English dialogue) will see a
noticeably aged movie. Colors are faded; scratches and other physical
deterioration are prevalent. In both versions there is limited contrast range,
which is especially problematic in one sequence when Jean-Pierre and Elizabeth
spend an afternoon in the woods. Where the direct sunlight hits the ground, it's
too bright to register any detail so half of the frame is indistinct during this
scene.

On the audio commentary, director Larry Kent talks about the social climate
when they made the movie. He provides some interesting details -- Montreal was
infamous as the bank robbery capital of North American at the time -- and
expresses his fondness for the cast. However, he mistakenly credits Carol Laure
(Sweet Movie) in the wrong role (this error is repeated on the summary on
the DVD's packaging) -- Laure plays Suzanne, Dock's lover and accomplice in
crime. Kent talks non-stop for 16 minutes, and then the commentary just ends,
without any wrap up or goodbye. The other extras on the disc are an unremarkable
stills gallery and a biography on Susan Sarandon.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

Apparently, Somerville House is selling this title on Sarandon's name alone
with the suggestion that the movie is mostly concerned with sex. While it's an
understandable marketing angle, it misrepresents the movie and is terribly
unfair to the other people involved with it. The extras are wafer thin and the
technical presentation is only adequate. To call this a "special
edition" is a very liberal application of the term.

Closing Statement

Worth a look for some vintage Canadian drama but it will stay separate from
my regular DVD shelf.